Category: Via Brands

Beautiful Beginnings with Kiehl’s

What was the first Kiehl’s product you ever tried? Did it pave way for a real romance or did it put you off the brand entirely? What was the first product you purchased? Did you love it? Hate it? Still own it?

my answer: Though I may not review the brand very often, I actually use numerous products on a regular basis, and it’s one of the few brands I repurchase from. It’s an affordable, practical range of effective skincare products. Right now, I have a Kiehl’s body wash, Creme de Corps, body sunscreen, and tinted moisturizer all in rotation.

The Beauty of Duochromes

Color Club Editorial Nail Lacquer ($8.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “peridot duochrome.” It’s a yellowy, dirty gold with brown and green in it that flashes from gold to grass green. It is, not surprisingly, a dupe for Chanel Peridot. The also recently-released China Glaze Rare & Radiant is rather similar as well (to be reviewed). Ozotic #507 is a bit darker, more green to blue than gold to green.

The formula on this was just right–not too thick or too thin–and it waso paque after two coats. It has a frosted, metallic finish, so there are some minor brush strokes visible under brighter light. They are the type that tends to add to the finish, rather than take away. They apply straight and don’t go all wonky. This was actually one of the shades from the fall launch that I test-drove for wear, and it lasted a full seven days without chipping and only had minor tip wear. This was true whether I used a base/top coat or just applied to bare nails. I will warn you that next to nothing chips on me, though.

The formula is described as “non-drying” and “matte” with “intensely rich colour.” It’s been awhile since I’ve worn a shade from this range, because after trying a few, these just didn’t work on my lips, as they were incredibly drying and caused my lips to bleed after continuous usage. I wore L’Impatiente last week, and it wore well for about five and a half hours, and then tolerably for another three hours. After eight hours, a lot of the color had flaked away and it was a bit uneven looking overall. I still found this rather drying, though it did not seem quite as drying as some of the original shades I have tried in the past.

I know some readers really love this formula, so it may still be worth trying for yourself to see how your lips react. This shade isn’t as pigmented as the other shades in the range. It wears for several hours, and it glided on without pulling or tugging before it settles into a semi-matte finish.

Eternal Sunshine had excellent color payoff, and it applied smoothly and evenly both wet and dry. When applied damp or wet, the metallic finish is more prominent, whereas when applied dry, it has more of a frosted look with less of a reflective sheen. While these are advertised to wear for 24-hours, that’s a bit of a stretch, but I did put this shade to the test for sixteen hours. It wore beautifully–no fading, no creasing.

MAC x Marilyn Monroe Collection Available Online!

The official in-store launch date is still October 4th according to MAC HQ, but if you’re worried, try calling your local MAC store or counter and verifying with them regarding their launch date. You may be able to hold or do a pre-order, but the policy on both seems to vary a lot from location to location.

Keep in mind, online retailers like Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillard’s, and Bloomingdale’s will also launch the collection online. All retailers appear to have launched the collection at this time, except Dillard’s.

A Stunning Berry That Wears All Day

Guerlain Orgueil Rouge G L’Extrait ($48.00 for 0.20 oz.) is described as a “plum.” What a pedestrian description! This shade is so much more complex. It’s a rich, deepened scarlet red with ruby red micro-shimmer. There’s just a hint of berry in the overall color, especially from afar. While it is not a dupe, it’s a cooler-toned, more berry-hued version of Chanel Dragon. MAC Good to Be Bad is browner and has no shimmer. MAC What a Joy! is more berry-hued. Guerlain Gigolo is deeper, darker, but it is rather close.

The way Rouge G L’Extrait feels on the lips is hard to describe; it’s not quite a full-on second-skin feel, which I always think of as a lip color that clings, almost like cling wrap. This has more movement in a way; you can press your lips together and you don’t feel them sticking together. Orgueil wore for eight hours and was still wearable for another hour or so. It can be reapplied, because it doesn’t flake off or wear away unevenly like some other long-wearing formulas can. This formula has more transfer than those, so there are trade-offs. I can wear it for eight hours, and my lips aren’t dry at all. The color is very pigmented, and a little goes a long way.